The Madras High Court on 19 September 2023, quashed the case slapped against renowned writer, publisher and political commentator Badri Seshadri.
Badri was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police on 29 July 2023 regarding his comments in an interview to a YouTube channel about the Manipur issue based on a complaint given by one advocate Kaviyarasu.
“Yesterday, the Supreme Court like a big…. I don’t know what word to say. ‘If you can’t do it (contain the violence), we will get down and do it.’ We should give a gun in the hand of Chandrachud (Chief Justice of India) and ask him to go there and do what he can to restore peace. Simply, talking anything without relation. Can you (judiciary) enter into the realm of governance? What fault did you find in what is being done [by the government] there [to restore normalcy]? Two groups are fighting. It is a hilly terrain. A complex land. In that, a few murders will happen. Why did they fight? Could we have prevented the reason for the two groups fighting? It can’t be done easily.”, he can be heard telling in the interview.
These comments about the Chief Justice of India was the reason for the arrest as this clip was picked and shared by Dravidian Stockists and DMK sympathizers.
He was charged with Sections 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153 A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony and 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief).
The quash petition came for final hearing on 19 September 2023 and Justice Anand Venkatesh dismissed the case.
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